


true lilacs and fake tattoos

by poetroe



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Tattoo Parlor, F/F, Fluff, SO MUCH FLUFF, flower symbolism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2019-11-13 15:19:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18034184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poetroe/pseuds/poetroe
Summary: “Let’s see,” she says as she picks up some flowers and adds them to the geraniums she’s already holding. “Some yellow carnations for disappointment, a little meadowsweet for uselessness… How do you feel about orange lilies?” Adora is momentarily stunned.“Um, I… I don’t know?” The girl smiles at her as she walks the flowers she’s holding back to the counter, picking up a handful of orange lilies on the way.“They convey hatred,” she supplies with a grin.Catra runs a flower shop. Adora runs a tattoo parlor.





	1. orange lilies

**Author's Note:**

> i've been wanting to write a florist/tattoo artist au for a while and u guys gave me the excuse to finally do it so thanks!! i know it's a little on the short side but i hope u like it!

There are a lot of things that suck about owning a business and Catra hates all of them with a burning passion: things like making sure the shop is all stocked, doing taxes and balancing books, cleaning up after closing every day, the works. But there are a lot of things that make up for it and she’s reminded of them every day. Right now, it’s the smell of dozens of different fresh flowers, a scent that’s almost touchable in the humid air, that characterizes the little, hole-in-the-wall flower shop that Catra runs.

For some reason it always smells better when she’s been outside for a while. With a jingle, Catra closes the shop’s door behind her and makes her way to the counter, two sandwiches in hand.

“Thanks, boss,” Scorpia, her trusted employee, says as she takes one. Catra pulls out a stool from underneath the counter, wincing a little at the scraping noise it makes against the tiles, and sits down as she surveys the shop.

It’s small, but Catra likes to think they’re using their space efficiently. On the highest shelves stand pots that hold household herbs like lavender, peppermint, thyme, sage, rosemary and the like. The rest of the shelves and the space on the ground is filled up with buckets that hold an array of flowers, ranging from pure white Casablanca lilies to dark purple irises that look almost black, with every color imaginable in between. It’s bright and colorful, in spite of the lack of natural light, that is only able to make its way into the shop through the large windows in the front.

It’s kind of funny how much she doesn’t actually fit in here, Catra thinks, munching on her sandwich as she looks down at her black shirt, black pants and black combat boots, before glancing over to Scorpia. Her baby blue dungarees and the yellow shirt underneath, combined with the ever-present smile on her face, make her a much more fitting counterpart to the flowers than Catra. She’s also better with the customers, not that Catra will ever let her in on that. With a sigh, she stands up, wiping the crumbs off her pants as she does.

“I’m going to do the administration in the back,” Catra says as she passes Scorpia. “You got it in here, right?”

“Sure thing,” Scorpia replies as she runs a hand through her short, white hair.

The afternoon drags on, the way it always seems to do whenever Catra has to deal with numbers and she’s becoming more envious of Scorpia with every time she hears the sound of the bell, that signifies a customer. Just when she’s on the cusp of just giving up, Scorpia sticks her head around the corner to Catra’s office. She’s looking thoughtful, her face pulled down in a frown that Catra isn’t very familiar with.

“What’s up?” she asks, putting down her pen.

“Uh, I need your help with something, boss,” Scorpia answers, now fully entering the office. “There’s a customer who wants to convey a very… uh, _specific_ message through her bouquet. I thought you might like to take this one.” Catra grins as she gets up. She does like this part of the job.

The art of giving flowers is an old one, one Catra likes to think she has perfected. Color schemes, color contrasts, balancing out vibrant flowers with soothing greenery, expressing meaning through her arrangements, she can do anything.

The customer is waiting patiently behind the counter when Catra steps out of the back, her hands clasped behind her back as she looks around the shop. The girl seems around Catra’s age, she has light blue eyes, blond hair pulled back in a bun and most of all she’s tall, and the first thing to pop into Catra’s head is _shit, she’s hot_. Balling her hands into fists as she rids herself of that thought, Catra smiles up at the girl.

“What can I help you with today?” she asks. The girl smiles back.

“Uh, I was hoping you could help me put together some flowers for a friend of mine.”

“Right,” Catra answers. Her fingers come up to tap against her lips as her eyes scan the room, taking in the different flowers even though Catra knows them like the back of her hand. “Something with a particular meaning, right?” The girl nods. “Well,” Catra continues as she moves from the counter to wander through the shop. “If you want to convey friendship, sunflowers or chrysanthemums are a good choice.” Her hand is already reaching out, fingertips sliding over soft yellow petals, when the girl speaks up.

“They’re for a friend, but I don’t want the message to be ‘friendship’,” the girl says. Catra raises an eyebrow as she turns to face her customer, intrigued.

“What do you want it to say,” she answers. “’I’m in love with you’?” The girl blushes as the words leave Catra’s mouth and she starts fiddling with her hands.

“Not exactly,” she says, and Catra isn’t sure she knows how to feel about that. “I, uh, I want it to say ‘fuck you’.”

***

The flower girl snorts and throws her dark hair back when she laughs, and for some reason it both makes Adora start laughing too. Then she starts grinning as she walks through the shop again, moving quickly, hands brushing against the vast array of flowers as she goes, leaving Adora rooted to her spot in front of the counter.

“That’s quite an original idea you have there,” she says, still smiling slightly as she taps her chin thoughtfully and looks over the flowers, “but I’m sure we can come up with something—ah, yes, that’s perfect.” The flower girl kneels down and grabs a couple of soft-looking, pink flowers. “Geraniums for stupidity,” she says holding up the flowers and looking at Adora questioningly. Her eyes are as striking as the colors in here, Adora thinks offhandedly while she looks at a blue as bright as the sky and a hazel as warm as the setting sun, before she remembers the girl is waiting for an answer.

“Uh, sounds perfect,” Adora says quickly. The girl smiles and walks over to the other side of the shop.

“Let’s see,” she says as she picks up some flowers and adds them to the geraniums she’s already holding. “Some yellow carnations for disappointment, a little meadowsweet for uselessness… How do you feel about orange lilies?” Adora is momentarily stunned.

“Um, I… I don’t know?” The girl smiles at her as she walks the flowers she’s holding back to the counter, picking up a handful of orange lilies on the way.

“They convey hatred,” she supplies with a grin, the hand holding the lilies hovering over the other flowers. “What do you say, want to give this ‘fuck you’ bouquet a real kick?” Adora sees a mischievous glint in the flower girl’s mismatched eyes, then glances down at the flowers. The orange lilies look like they would clash amazingly with the pink and yellow flowers already making up the bouquet. A grin spreads across her face.

“Yeah,” Adora answers. “Let’s do it.” Flower girl grins and puts the lilies in, before adding some greenery and tying the whole thing together. Then she wraps it up in brown paper expertly and hands it over.

“Here you go,” she mutters with a smile. Adora grins back as she looks over the bouquet. The colors look like they’re screaming. It’s absolutely beautiful.

“Thanks,” she says, “how much do I owe you?” Flower girl’s grin widens as she waves her words away.

“It’s on the house,” she answers. “It’s not every day I get to create a bouquet filled with hate.” Adora snorts as she looks at the orange lilies, then back to the flower girl, meeting bright eyes. “I enjoyed myself,” the girl adds with a crooked smirk. Adora fiddles a little with the bouquet.

“What’s your name? Just, uh, so I know who to ask for, next time.” Flower girl grins as she leans forward over the counter, her chin on her hand.

“I’m Cat. Pleased to meet you.” Adora smiles and her fingers tighten a little around the bouquet.

“Cool,” she answers. “I’m Adora. I run the tattoo parlor across the street.”


	2. true lilacs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the response to the first chapter was amazing, so let me start off by saying thank you so much !! it motivated me to write this second chapter. hope u guys enjoy it !!

The shop isn’t too busy when Adora gets back, which is perfect. With the flowers in hand, she walks past where Bow is busy working on a customer’s upper arm, his headphones on and so completely focused on his work that he doesn’t even notice her walking past. Adora nods to the guy with a smile and takes the stairs up to the back.

“Hey,” she greets Glimmer, her other colleague at Grayskull Ink. Glimmer is lounging on her own tattoo chair, scrolling through something on her phone.

“Oh, hey Adora,” Glimmer says as she spots her and puts her phone away. “Who are those for? Or have you got another secret admirer?” Adora grins as her eyes fall on the orange lilies.

“Oh, right. This is for you actually, you asshole.” With no further ado, Adora thrusts the bouquet in Glimmer’s arms.

“What?” Glimmer asks, insulted. “Is this your way of saying thank you?” She stands up from the chair and walks over to their little kitchenette, pulling out a vase. “You’re welcome, by the way.” Adora crosses her arms and watches her tear the brown paper Cat had so neatly folded around the flowers, before trimming the stems of the flowers, filling the vase with water and putting them in.

“I guess,” she answers. “Say, are you into flower symbolism, Glimmer?” Glimmer turns around, facing her with one eyebrow pulled up questioningly.

“You know I’m not,” she says, picking up the vase and holding it out in front of her, observing the flowers carefully. “Why?” Adora almost cracks up at Glimmer’s confused pout, that makes her look every bit like the twelve year old she acts like most of the time.

“Geraniums for stupidity,” she says with a grin that’s gradually growing bigger, trying to remember everything Cat had mentioned about the flowers. “Yellow carnations for stupidity and orange lilies for hatred.” She walks up to Glimmer and pats her shoulder. “That’s for giving me a tat with a spelling error in it, you idiot.” Glimmer’s face turns red and Adora bursts out in giggles as she makes her way back down to the counter, in the front of the shop. She pushes up the sleeve of her jean jacket and the long sleeved shirt she has on underneath and looks at the tattoo in question, on her lower arm, on the inside below her elbow. There, stylized in imposing looking gothic lettering, it says ‘Greyskull Ink’. Adora presses her cool fingers to the plastic wrap that’s still covering her arm and watches how tiny droplets of blood move between her skin and the plastic. She can’t help but feel slightly embarrassed about the spelling error, but oh, well. At least it makes for a pretty funny conversation starter.

The sound of the door shakes Adora out of her thoughts and she looks up as she pulls her sleeve back down. In walks a woman with short, white hair, who Adora recognizes as the other employee of the flower shop and, if memory serves her right…

“Hey,” Adora greets as the woman approaches the counter. “How is your scorpion? Heal up okay?” The woman—Scorpia? Adora isn’t sure if she remember that correctly or if this is just her brain playing tricks on her—rolls up her t-shirt sleeve to reveal the boldly colored scorpion tattoo on her shoulder.

“Perfectly,” she answers with a smile. Adora unconsciously leans forward over the counter as she inspects the lines and the reds and blues that make up the main coloring of the tattoo.

“Yeah, it’s looking good,” she says. “So, am I right to assume you’ve decided to continue this into a full sleeve? You did say you were considering it, right?” The woman laughs and she pulls her shirt sleeve back down.

“I did, and I’ve also been thinking of designs.” Adora nods as she finds the appointments book and opens it.

“That’s cool,” she answers as she finds a day with enough space to potentially finish a sleeve. “What did you have in mind?” The woman leans her elbow on the counter as her eyes drift to the vase with the flowers that Glimmer just put on the counter.

“Something with flowers.”

***

It’s still early when Catra opens up the shop. She doesn’t get many customers before ten on any day, but she still prefers to set everything up quickly so she can drink her morning coffee in peace. When the usual flowers are sitting in the sunshine in front of the shop, the tiled floor inside is swept clean and Catra has a mug of steaming coffee in her hand, her phone buzzes on the counter.

 _Hey boss_ , reads Scorpia’s text. _A friend of mine is learning to draw flowers, I told her she could hang out in the shop and sketch. That’s okay right?_ Catra rolls her eyes, but it’s fond. Leave it to Scorpia to do first and ask questions later.

 _Sure_ , she replies. _As long as she doesn’t get in my way_. Scorpia’s reply is instant.

 _Thanks you’re the best!_ The words are followed with a surge of various heart emojis and Catra blinks at the colors for a second before sighing and putting her phone away. Her mind starts drifting, wondering what kind of person to expect when the bell jingles and a girl enters the shop. With a start, Catra realizes it’s the same girl from yesterday.

“Hey,” she greets as Adora walks up to the counter. “Here for another ‘fuck you’ bouquet, by any chance?” Adora chuckles and Catra feels her lips pulling up in a smile.

“Heh, yeah, not exactly,” she answers. “Thank you, though. It was really lovely. My friend loved it.”

“I live to serve,” Catra says with a shrug. She puts her elbows on the counter and leans on them. “So what can I help you with today?”

“Oh, uh, didn’t Scorpia text you?” Adora replies. “I’m designing a tattoo for her, but I’ve never done flowers before. I was hoping I could sit here for a bit and sketch?”

“Oh,” is Catra’s answer. _Oh_ , because having this tall tattoo artist in her shop, just sitting and drawing? This is going to be the end of her. “Yeah, of course.” With jerky movements, because apparently Catra’s body likes to betray her, she pulls out the wooden stool from the counter and places it in a corner of the store. “How about here?” she asks as she turns back to Adora. “There’s not much natural light here, I know.”

“It’s fine,” Adora tells her with a sweet smile as she fishes a sketchbook from her bag and sits down on the stool. “Uh, so I was thinking I should start with something… simple and straightforward. Do you have any suggestions?” Catra’s eyes glide through the flowers in the shop, considering. Then she finds it.

“Yeah, hold on, I’ll get them for you—” Walking fast, Catra grabs an empty bucket from behind the counter and walks outside, where the sunflowers are sitting in the high noon sun. She grabs three and puts them in the bucket, adding some blue irises and a few green balled flowers, called sweet william. “Here you go,” Catra says as she places the bucket on the counter, in front of Adora. “I think the sunflowers should be good for just starting out.” She looks over the arrangement again, hands hovering over the flowers, antsy to rearrange, remove, replace. “Maybe the irises are a bit hard, I can just—”

“Leave them,” Adora interrupts. She’s zipping open a pencil bag and rummages through it until she finds a purple pencil, then smiles up at Catra. “I like the contrast they create with the sunflowers.” Catra stuffs her hands in the pockets of her pants and smiles back.

“Good,” she says. “I’ll, uh. I’ll leave you to it, then.”

“So,” Adora asks after an hour. It’s been a bit of a slow day, one that they’ve spent mostly in silence. Catra blinks her eyes slowly and leaves her daydream for what it is, directing her attention back to the girl that’s sitting a few feet away.

“What?” Adora smiles a crooked smile.

“I asked what your favorite flower is.”

“Oh. Let me think,” Catra answers. She runs a hand through her curls and looks through the shop for inspiration. She’s still thinking as she hops up on the counter, next to the bucket with Adora’s subject. “Lilacs I think. True lilacs.”

“True lilacs?” Adora asks as she puts her sketchbook away. Apparently she’s done for the day.

“Yeah,” Catra says. “Lilacs come in many colors. White lilacs symbolize youth and innocence, blue lilacs stand for happiness and tranquility and deep magenta lilacs mean love. True lilacs are lilac in color, like those ones.” She points to a bucket full of the flower with the soft purple color.

“And what do those signify?” Adora asks. Her eyes are the color of blue lilacs, Catra thinks, and they’re looking at her curiously. Catra looks away before she answers, already feeling a blush coming up.

“A first love.”


	3. alstroemeria’s

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i sure enjoy making catra suffer in my fics huh !!!! i hope u guys enjoy, pls leave a comment after reading !! they keep me going <3

There are mornings that are great, during which Catra has no trouble getting out of bed, the weather is nice and her commute to work goes by smoothly and quickly. Then there are mornings like today, during which she oversleeps, has to skip breakfast and spends her commute worrying she’s going to be late.

It doesn’t bode well for her general mood and it seems like Scorpia picks up on it, because when Catra drops her keys when trying to open up the shop, she swoops in with a smile and a “I got this, boss.” Catra can only roll her eyes before she follows Scorpia into the shop, puts her coat and bag away and goes to work on putting a part of their flowers on display outside the storefront. She’s not even halfway through when it hits her.

It starts with the annoyingly familiar sensation of her eyes starting to water. A sudden sneeze almost makes her drop the bucket of roses she’s holding and, with a sinking dread, Catra can feel her nose starting to fill up. “Fuck,” she exclaims, thrusting the roses next to the yellow gerbera daisies before coming back inside and starting to rummage through the drawers of the desk in her office for any kind of napkin or tissue. “Fuck,” Catra mutters again as she comes up empty. “Fuck, shit, goddamn it all to hell.”

“Damn boss, I hate Tuesdays as much as the next person,” Scorpia mentions offhandedly as she saunters into the office, “but is today really that bad?” Catra sighs as she gives up the search and plops down on her office chair.

“Yes,” she replies as she angles her head back and looks at the ceiling. The all too familiar sensation of an itch in the back of her throat chooses to appear with the movement and Catra coughs twice, before continuing. “I forgot to take my allergy meds this morning.”

When it rains, it really does pour. The weather outside is pretty great, with warm and bright rays of sunshine that fall on the flowers beautifully, but Catra can’t say she enjoys it much when she’s coughing behind the counter and blowing her nose in toilet paper every couple minutes. It doesn’t seem to bother Adora, who’s perched on the stool in the same place as last week, sketching today’s arrangement of pink and red orchids; though she does lift her eyes from the paper when Catra has another coughing fit.

“You okay? It sounds like you’re dying.”

“I kind of am,” Catra shrugs. “That’s what I get for selling flowers while being allergic to pollen. And forgetting to take my medication, obviously.” Adora snorts.

“Anything I can do?” she asks. Catra thinks as she wipes her nose again.

“You could distract me,” she offers, hoping Adora won’t mind Catra keeping her from her work. “Tell me who the ‘fuck you’ bouquet was for.”

“Okay,” Adora says, grinning slightly as she closes her sketchbook and puts her pencils away. “So, you know how I own the tattoo shop across from here.” Catra nods, looking on as Adora starts rolling up the right sleeve of her hoodie. “My friend, Glimmer, who works there with me, gave me this.” Catra leans forward, forgetting her full nose and headache for a second as she observes the tattoo on the inside of her elbow. It looks normal at first glance, but…

“Wait,” Catra says, eyes flitting from the tattoo to the front window of the shop. She leaves the counter and glances through it at Adora’s tattoo parlor across the street, then moves back to look at her tattoo. “Oh my god.” Adora chuckles.

“Yeah,” she says as she rolls her sleeve back down. “Glimmer fucked up the spelling, so I gave her an insulting bouquet.”

“Damn,” Catra replies. “That’s going to be on your arm forever. I would’ve done a little more than give her flowers.” Adora just shrugs.

“I actually thought it was pretty funny, you know, a tattoo artist with a tat of the name of her shop misspelled.”

“I mean, when you put it like that,” Catra says. It is kind of ironic. She glances at Adora’s hands and wonders if she has any more tattoos hidden beneath those layers of clothing; how many stories hide themselves in Adora’s skin beneath those fabrics.

“Do you have any?” Adora asks. Catra shakes her head.

“Why, do you want to give me one?” she replies. Adora grins.

“I could,” she says. “I could also give you a fake one, if you want to try it out first.” Catra runs a hand through her hair, considering. Tattoos have never been something she actively wanted, but they do look cool on Scorpia, or Adora, or the strangers she encounters on her commute every morning. And she can think of a couple of flowers that would look good as tattoos.

“Okay,” Catra answers with a smile. The bell at the door jingles. “As long as _you_ put it on me. I don’t trust your friend now.” Adora starts laughing as Catra walks off, still grinning as she greets the woman who just entered the shop.

***

There’s something incredibly calming about spending her day surrounded by all kinds of colorful flowers, that all smell even better than they look, doing nothing more than sketching floral designs and cracking jokes with the shops owner. This is only the third day she spends here, but Adora feels like she’s been drawing Cat’s arrangements for weeks now.

Adora puts her pencil down, momentarily breaking her focus on the bucket of flowers in front of her to look through the shop. Scorpia is watering some of the flowers outside in the sun and Adora looks at the tiny particles of dust that become visible in the rays of light that fall into the shop. Distracted by the languid air that seems to hang in the shop, she doesn’t notice Cat coming out of her office.

“Hey,” she says and Adora jumps a little, before turning around. “Have you had lunch yet?” Adora shakes her head.

“No,” Adora answers as she puts a couple of colored pencils away in her pencil bag and looks at the drawing in front of her. “I didn’t even notice it was this late already. These yellow—what are they called again?”

“Alstroemeria’s,” Cat answers, before sneezing suddenly. Adora tries her best not to start laughing, because the sound that accompanies is the cutest thing she’s ever heard, so she clamps her lips shut in a tightlipped smile.

“Yeah, the alstroemeria’s,” she repeats. “They’re especially captivating.”

“They’re also called the lily of the Inca’s. There’s over a hundred different kinds, growing all over in South and Central America,” Cat mentions as she wipes her nose. She bends down in order to get a good look at Adora’s depiction of the delicate yellow flower, entering Adora’s personal space out of the blue and causing blood to rise to her cheeks. Cat whistles softly as her eyes track the lines on the paper. “You’re really good.”

“Thanks!” Adora says, her voice cracking slightly because of the florists close proximity. Resolutely, she closes the sketchbook. “So, uh, what were you thinking for lunch?” If Cat is weirded out by Adora’s sudden haste to get away, it doesn’t show. Instead, she keeps smiling kindly.

“I was thinking we could go out and get some sandwiches,” she says. “The place I usually go to isn’t close, but the weather is really nice for this time of year, so I thought we could walk there?” Adora nods.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Spring really is her favorite time of the year, Adora thinks as she walks through a park alongside Cat. The trees, though still mostly bare, are silently growing buds, on the cusp of blooming. The grass is a radiant green in the high noon sun, especially when offset by brightly colored daffodils and crocuses.

“It’s really beautiful out here,” Adora mentions. They’re walking slowly, slower than Adora walks when she’s by herself, but it seems appropriate when they’re in nature, and the drowsy warmth of the sun. Cat hums in agreement.

“This is my favorite place to walk through in any season,” she says. “Especially autumn, I think. This entire path becomes covered in leaves every shade of red, orange and yellow.” Cat looks up at the trees that line the path.

“You’re always looking at nature, aren’t you?” Adora says, before she even realizes she says it. Cat’s eyes leave the buds on the branches to settle on her and Adora can feel her cheeks heating up. “I understand,” she continues. “I catch myself looking at other people’s tattoos all the time.”

“You do?” Cat asks curiously. Adora nods.

“Yeah. Don’t you look at other people’s flowers?” Cat snorts and takes a second to answer. The path that they’re on takes them past a deep, murky pond, that reflects the deep blue sky above.

“I guess,” she says eventually. “Now that I think about it. Sometimes people really do have the strangest combinations of flowers in their bouquet.” It’s as if so much as the mention of flowers sets off Cat’s hay fever, because right as the words leave her mouth, she sneezes again. “Goddamn it,” she murmurs as Adora starts laughing.


	4. cherry blossoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while, sorry about that! hope this chapter makes up for it, enjoy reading and see u soon !!!

Adora feels strangely light when she gets back to the tattoo parlor. Lunch had turned into an afternoon spent in the grass, in the shade below the oak trees, with Cat continuously reassuring Adora that Scorpia could handle the shop and she didn’t have to go back yet until the sun had started setting. But being there, surrounded by nature, talking about nothing important at all while enjoying the spring and her company has Adora more relaxed than she’s felt in weeks. Maybe that’s why she doesn’t see the ambush coming.

“And where have you been?” Glimmer says, walking up to her before Adora can so much as say hi.

“With Cat?” she answers, brushing past Glimmer and dumping the bag with her art supplies on an empty chair. From the looks of it it’s been a slow day, because even Bow is emerging from the back of the shop now with a curious glint in his eyes.

“Ooh,” he says, grinning wide and wiggling his eyebrows. “Cat from the flower shop?”

“ _Yes_ , from the flower shop,” Adora says with a sigh. “Didn’t I tell you guys I was going over there to practice drawing flowers?”

“Exactly,” Glimmer counters with an accusatory tone, “what you didn’t tell us is that you were going to be there for three days in a row.” Adora rolls her eyes.

“Come on, Glimmer. You and Bow can manage the shop by yourselves perfectly,” she says as she gets out her sketchbook and flips it open to the page with the sunflowers and irises. “Besides, I’m making a lot of progress already.” Bow is by her side instantly, looking at the drawing over her shoulder.

“Wow, that’s really pretty,” he says. Adora grins.

“You should see what the shop looks like.”

“Oh, definitely,” Bow hums. “I’ll go check out what your new boo looks like while I’m at it.”

“She’s not my _boo_!” Adora protests, feeling her sense of relaxation dissipate like snow in the spring while a blush takes over her cheeks. “She’s just… very helpful. She knows a lot about flowers.” Glimmer and Bow are both looking at her like she’s spouting nonsense. “What? It’s true!”

“So, when’s the next time you’re seeing her?” Glimmer asks as she crosses her arms. Adora shrugs.

“Tomorrow.” It feels strangely like admitting defeat. “Apparently the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Cat knows a place; we made plans to see them together.”

“Okay,” Bow says. “I might not know as much about flower meanings or messages as your crush does, but that sounds like a date.”

“It’s not!” Adora protests once again, propping her sketchbook back in her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. “It’s really not. Now get your stuff so I can close up the place.” Bow and Glimmer exchange a meaningful look before both stalking up to their respective workstations. Though she’s glad they’re off the topic of Cat, Adora can’t help but wonder about her and their afternoon spent in the park.

The flower shop owner is special, alright. Adora doesn’t think she’s ever met a person quite like her, with her seemingly endless knowledge about all kinds of flowers, herbs and trees. And it’s more than just her interest in nature. Cat seems to see beauty everywhere around them, and it’s admirable.

As she says goodbye to Glimmer and Bow before locking the door, Adora is reminded of something Cat said. Above her, the stars have come out; littering the sky like the freckles on Cat’s face.

_“I love looking at the stars,” Cat says. The sun has not set quite yet, still hanging low above the horizon, but when Adora tries she can spot one or two stars already visible through the branches of the oak tree. One of them is the north star, maybe?_

_“What do you like about them?” she asks instead. Cat shrugs, eyes never leaving the quickly darkening sky above them._

_“It reassures me, I guess,” she says. “Every star, tiny as it might seem to us, is actually enormous, like the sun. And every tiny dot in our night sky has a couple of planets orbiting around it. That’s hundreds of planets, and that’s just for the stars we’re able to see here, in the city.” Adora nods silently from where she’s sitting, back against the tree, looking at where Cat is laying in the grass. “We’re impossibly small in the context of the universe. My flower shop could take off, or it could go bankrupt. I could move back home, or I could travel the world. I could win, I could lose.” She sighs once, deeply, before a smile settles on her face. “The stars remind me that it doesn’t really matter either way.” Adora can’t help herself; she snorts._

_“That’s kind of depressing.” Cat’s smile turns into a grin._

_“Maybe,” she says. “To me, it’s calming.”_

***

“You sure you can handle everything today?” Catra asks, even though she doesn’t know why. Scorpia has managed this shop on her own probably a million times already. It’s the nerves, then, for her meetup with Adora. That might be even _more_ ridiculous. Catra doesn’t do nervous; she does suave, calm and collected.

“Of course, boss,” Scorpia just says, grinning. “Nothing to worry about. And even if you do, I’m just a call away.” Catra rolls her eyes as she shrugs on a jean jacket.

“I’m not worried,” she answers, checking whether she has everything. Money, her keys, her phone.

“Not about the shop, I’m sure.” Catra scoffs as she turns back around to her employee.

“What exactly are you insinuating?” she says, glaring at Scorpia. The tall woman seems undeterred.

“Just that you’ve never taken _me_ to see the cherry blossoms, that’s all,” Scorpia says with a grin. “Go have fun. And tell Adora I said hi.”

“Okay,” Catra murmurs as she moves away from the counter. “Bye, Scorpia.”

It’s early and the sky is still a little hazy when Catra steps outside. The sun is already shining strongly and she squints against it as she gets out her phone and shoots a text to Adora. _Hey_ , she writes, _I’m outside_. The enthusiastic reply comes just a minute later, followed by Adora emerging from the tattoo parlor across the street, waving eagerly as soon as she spots Catra.

A train and a bus ride takes them to a big park that extends as far as the eye can see. They’re only at the entrance, but Catra is already amazed by the sheer size of it, the tall trees and the lake that stretches along on the left side of the path that they’re on. It’s a fifteen minute walk over the gravel path, that takes them through a sloping forest and eventually ends in a clearing. Catra stops walking as soon as they reach it; the hundreds of Japanese cherry trees, scattered all around the clearing and filled with cherry blossom petals, have her in momentary awe.

“Woah,” Adora says from beside her. “This is amazing.” Catra can only nod, distracted by the flowers that are gently nudged off the twigs by a mild breeze, fluttering down to the grass like snowfall. Then there’s the sensation of a warm hand grabbing her own, squeezing softly before pulling her along towards the trees. “Come on,” Adora’s saying with a smile when Catra’s eyes find her again.

They’re not the only ones below the trees. There are people with kids and people taking photos of the cherry blossoms and of each other, but despite that Adora manages to find them a largely quiet spot. “Let’s sit here,” she says and Catra is already shrugging her jacket off, handing it to the tattoo shop owner.

“Here,” she says. “In case the grass is still wet.” Adora smiles gratefully and spreads the jacket out on the ground before sitting down and finding her sketchbook and colored pencils in her bag. “Straight to business, huh?” Catra says as she sits on the grass next to Adora.

“Yeah,” Adora answers as she starts drawing long, delicate lines, the branches of the trees before them. A comfortable silence, filled only by the breeze, whispers of conversations from the other people in the clearing and the scratching sound of Adora’s pencils on paper settles over them and Catra lets herself fall backwards in the grass. The cherry blossoms sway gently in the wind and through them, she sees fluffy white clouds trek across a cerulean sky. It’s warm enough for Catra to lie comfortably without her jacket and slowly, her eyes fall shut.

It feels like only five minutes have passed when a hand on her shoulder shakes Catra from her nap, but when she blinks her eyes open and sees the same page of Adora’s sketchbook filled to the brim, she realizes she must have been asleep for much longer than that. “Done already?” Catra asks, voice slightly raspy, as she sits up.

“Hm, not yet, I think,” Adora says. She flips a page and instead of trees, Catra sees cherry blossoms in full detail. She shifts closer to where Adora is sitting and their knees are touching as she scans the pages. Adora has drawn them in a few different ways; cherry blossoms with thick black lines and cherry blossoms with color only, single petals, and flower bunched together like the way they’re sitting on the branches above them.

“These are beautiful,” Catra breathes. “You’re really good.” Her hand reaches out and she flips another page before Adora can answer. As soon as she does Catra freezes, because there, between pastel pink cherry blossom petals is a sketch of her, lounging in the grass.

“Uh, sorry,” Adora says, a blush quickly overtaking her cheeks and hands already moving to close the sketchbook, but Catra keeps her hand on the page to keep it open and studies her likeness. “You were just—I couldn’t help myself.”

“It’s okay,” Catra says as her eyes flit from the page to Adora’s bright eyes. She’s suddenly aware of how close they’re sitting. “Like I said, you’re really good.” Adora smiles again and Catra swallows, lost for words.

“Flatterer,” Adora says, turning her attention back to the sketchbook and tracing her sketch of Catra with her thumb.

“I mean it,” Catra replies. “At this rate you won’t even have to come by the shop anymore.” A swirl of something heavy, probably her nerves from this morning back with a vengeance and dread for Adora’s answer, rushes through Catra’s abdomen.

“No way. We’ve still got a bunch of flowers to get to, right?” Adora asks with a smile, dispelling the weight and leaving Catra feeling strangely weightless. This emotional turmoil is giving her the worst kind of vertigo.

“Oh, yeah,” Catra answers with a relieved sigh, watching how Adora’s hair moves as the breeze picks up again. Cherry blossoms keep snowing down around them. “Lots of flowers.”


	5. yellow zinnia's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are really taking off this chapter !!! also if u like my work and want to support me u can now buy me a coffee here: ko-fi.com/poetroe
> 
> on that note i wanna dedicate this chapter to Athena/Kian, my #1 fan this one's for u !!!

Things always seem that much slower on the rainy days. There seems to be something about the absence of the sun that makes people forget about flowers. Or maybe they’re just reminded of the beauty of nature when the weather is hot, Catra muses. Regardless, it’s pouring outside, and no customer has set foot in the shop all day.

Not even Adora. She probably doesn’t count as a customer anymore, not when she texts Catra directly about a client she just had to see to and not being able to come in today. Not when they’ve spent as much time together outside as inside the shop. Not when Catra knows her name goes accompanied by various flower emojis in Adora’s phone.

The bell jingles when the door is opened and Catra looks up from where she’s slumped over the counter, sighing and deflating when she sees it’s just Scorpia, back from her trip across the street.

“Hey,” she greets as Scorpia shrugs off her raincoat, getting tiny, cold drops of water everywhere. “How’d it go?” The tall woman smiles as she pulls out a stool next to Catra.

“Good! I think I’ve finally decided on the flowers I want to use in my design,” Scorpia says, dumping her coat on the stool instead of sitting on it, moving through the store instead. Catra perks up and watches as Scorpia pulls a zinnia, a yellow acacia and a handful of purple irises from their buckets. The associations with their meanings start flashing before Catra’s eyes and she smiles.

“Let me guess,” she says. “The acacia is for true friendship. I’m touched, by the way.” Scorpia grins as she mixes the flowers a little and puts them down on the counter. “The zinnia is for friendship, too,” Catra continues, “but I’m guessing it means everlasting affection, here?”

“Right on the money, boss,” Scorpia replies with a small grin. “As per usual.” Catra reaches out and strokes the petals of the irises gently. They’re very soft and a beautiful color, a bright burgundy with the tiniest bit of yellow.

“And the irises are for… royalty? Scorpia, is there something you’re not telling me?” Scorpia snorts.

“I wish,” she says. “No, they’re just to tie everything together. I think they’re really pretty, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Catra answers, looking at the arrangement again. “For the record, can I just say how awesome it is that you’re getting this.” She looks at Scorpia, who’s beaming down at her. “I’m serious,” Catra mumbles, dropping her gaze back to the flowers. The zinnia, in particular; with its bright yellow petals that bleed into a reddish pink where the petals meet the stem.  “You’re my best friend, you know.”

“Aw,” Scorpia coos, before pulling Catra up from her stool and sweeping her into a bearhug. The hug lasts for way longer than Catra would normally be comfortable with, but then again she doesn’t normally make declarations like that, so she lets Scorpia have this. At least, until the bell at the door chimes again.

Catra pats Scorpia’s back and gently pushes her away to see who it is. There, standing next to a bucket full of roses is Adora, without a coat and dripping rainwater all over the tiled floor.

“Hey,” Adora says, sheepishly wiping the water from her face. “It’s really coming down, huh? I thought I could manage crossing the street without an umbrella.” She glances down at herself. “Well, I was wrong.”

“Hey Adora,” Catra says with wide eyes. “I wasn’t expecting you today. Do you need a- uh, a towel?” She probably shouldn’t have offered, seeing as they only have a dirty dishcloth in the tiny kitchenette in Catra’s office, but seeing Adora standing there and looking like a drowned cat distracts Catra in a way she’s entirely unfamiliar with.

“Oh, that’s okay,” Adora says with a bright smile, pushing her hands down the pockets of her drenched jeans. “I’m just here for the flowers.” Her next words are directed at Scorpia. “Are these the ones?”

“Yes,” Scorpia answers enthusiastically, already wrapping the flowers up in brown paper.

“Wait,” Catra mutters as she watches Scorpia handle the flowers. “You’re not going to draw them in here?”

“I would,” Adora says, with something that looks like a blush appearing on her cheeks. It’s probably from being out in the rain, Catra tells herself. “I just promised Glimmer and Bow I would be in the shop today. They both have clients so they need me to handle the counter.” Scorpia hands her the flowers, and Adora smiles kindly as she accepts them. “Thank you,” she says. “I’ll start on a couple designs today.” She smiles again and makes a move to leave, so Catra quickly steps past Scorpia.

“Come on,” she says. “I’ll walk you out.” Despite the fact that her shop is tiny, Adora still seems to appreciate the gesture; judging from the hand on Catra’s arm and the way her eyes soften when she says ‘thank you’, again. “So, when will I see you again?” Catra asks, because she can’t help herself. Adora has already stepped into the pouring rain and Catra is getting wet now, too, where she’s standing in the doorway.

“I’ll let you know,” Adora says with a secretive smirk. She’s even more soaked now than when she came in, her hair sticking to her face, but she seems completely unbothered by it. “I’m working on a surprise for you.” Catra’s breath catches and she feels herself mirroring Adora’s smile, involuntarily.

“Oh?”

“I’ll text you,” Adora says, still grinning. With that, she turns around, walking back to the tattoo parlor across the street.

***

Everything’s going according to plan. Adora grins, satisfied with the art on her computer, and sends the files to the printer. The first one has three designs for Scorpia, all variations on the combination of the yellow zinnia and acacia, with the irises popping up in the leftover space, and the delicate stems of the flowers bringing them all together. Adora studies the design a little closer, tracing the tiny petals of the yellow acacia, before putting the paper in a map to give to Scorpia later.

Now. Onto Cat’s surprise. Adora can feel her grin widen as she puts a sheet of water slide paper in the printer. After checking that the right side is going to be printed on, she selects the file and waits as the printer whirs to life again.

There’s something akin to nerves coursing through her veins when Adora gets out her phone and sends a text to Cat. The rain outside has downgraded to a drizzle, tapping against the front window softly. With slightly sweaty palms, Adora gets the water slide paper with the design from the printer and glances at it. The flowers were her own idea, chosen after a late night Google binge. The design has a white chrysanthemum with a tinge of green in the center, a couple of yellow morning glory flowers and, of course, Cat’s favorite lilacs. On the bottom of the design is a banner, simple and elegant, like Adora usually designs them. The text is reversed, like the rest of the tattoo, but Adora doesn’t need to read the words to know what it says. She releases a shaky breath and puts the glossy paper down.

It doesn’t take longer than five minutes for Cat to open the door to the tattoo parlor and step inside, closing the umbrella she’s holding and setting it down next to the door. Adora is at her side in an instant.

“Hey,” she smiles enthusiastically. “You’re quick.”

“Don’t be fooled,” Cat says with a grin. “I just hate surprises.” Adora raises an eyebrow, ready to answer her with a witty remark of her own, but her coworkers beat her to the punch.

“So _this_ is your flower shop girl,” Bow says, appearing from behind Adora. He looks Cat up and down while nodding approvingly, so Adora elbows him in the ribs.

“Behave, please,” she mutters. “This is Cat. Cat, this is Bow. His tattoos are a lot better than his social skills.” Cat’s laugh comes easy and sounds a little raspy. Abruptly those nerves from earlier come flooding back and Adora can feel her face getting hot. She quickly turns around and walks further into the shop. “Over there is my other friend and coworker Glimmer,” she says when Cat follows, pointing to where Glimmer is drawing something on her tablet fully concentrated. Adora fully intends to leave her be, but Bow is already bounding up the stairs to the back part of the shop.

“Glimmer!” he yells as he taps Glimmer on the shoulder. Then, in a lower volume but regardless still clearly audible to Adora and Cat: “Adora’s _boo_ is here.” Cat looks at Adora questioningly, but Adora just ignores it, in favor of coughing in her hand unconvincingly and hoping her cheeks don’t flare up too much.

Glimmer and Bow are back down in an instant, Bow looking at the two of them excitedly while Glimmer crosses her arms as she sizes Cat up.

“So you’re the one who’s been stealing away our boss, huh?” Adora rolls her eyes as Cat chuckles.

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” she says. “I’m Cat. It’s nice to meet you guys.”

“You too!” Bow says, smiling. “We’ve heard _all_ about you from Adora.”

“Oh really?” Cat replies, turning to Adora with a smug smirk and a raised eyebrow. Adora just pushes her hands down the pockets of her jeans awkwardly.

“All good, I promise,” she says. “But, uh, don’t you guys have work to do?”

“Right!” Bow exclaims, winking exorbitantly before dragging Glimmer away, who looks like she still has something to say to Cat.

“So, those are my coworkers,” Adora tells Cat lamely when they’re alone again. Cat just keeps grinning.

“They’re certainly intense,” she says. “Now, where’s that surprise you were talking about? I wasn’t kidding before, I don’t normally handle surprises well.” Adora mirrors her grin, thinking about the design she had just printed on the water slide paper.

“Okay,” she starts. “How do you feel about getting a tattoo?” Cat’s eyes widen, so Adora quickly adds: “A temporary one, I mean. A fake tattoo.”

“Well, it’s been a while since I had one,” Cat answers. “I used to love them as a kid, though.”

“Do you trust me enough to put one on you?” Adora asks hopefully. Cat bites her lip as she considers it, but when her eyes meet Adora’s, a smile slides in place and she nods.

“But,” Cat says, while Adora already moves to pick up her design, “I reserve the right to sue you if it’s anything embarrassing.” A laugh escapes Adora at that, and it helps slightly with her heartbeat, which has picked up now that the moment is finally here.

“Okay,” Adora says as she leads Cat to one of the tattoo chairs. “Where do you want it?”

“My arm is fine,” Cat says. She’s rolling up her sleeve, exposing the tan skin of her arm up to her elbow, while Adora gets everything she needs: the design and a damp cloth.

“Close your eyes,” Adora says softly, grabbing a hold of Cat’s wrist and turning her arm so that the palm of her hand faces the ceiling. “And no peeking!”

“Scout’s honor,” Cat says, with closed eyes and a bright smile. With hands that are slightly shaky and a heart that’s pounding in her throat, Adora gets to work.

She places the paper on Cat’s warm skin, the design faced down, with the banner on the bottom so the text is the right side up for Cat. Then Adora presses the wet cloth on the paper, sweeping over it in order to cover every inch of the paper, keeping it pressed down until it turns translucent. The movements are methodical and familiar; it feels a lot like wiping the blood from a client’s skin after setting a real tattoo. When it’s done, Adora carefully peels away the paper, making sure the design keeps sticking to Cat’s skin.

“You can open your eyes now,” Adora says. She hears Cat’s sharp inhale when she sees the tattoo, but her eyes are stuck on the text in the banner. _Will you go out with me?_ “I chose the flowers by their meanings,” Adora continues, partly because she wants to explain her design and partly because she doesn’t want to give Cat the opportunity to let her down, just yet. “I looked everything up on Google so I hope they’re right.” Her hand is still holding Cat’s arm and her thumb brushes over the soft skin of Cat’s wrist. “The morning glory is for affection, because I really like you,” Adora speaks softly. “The chrysanthemum is for honesty, because I’m— I’m just very serious about this, and I mean that.” In face on her fears, Adora’s eyes flicker up to see Cat, looking at her with her mouth slightly open. “And the true lilacs, well…” A small smile appears on Adora’s face. “You know.” She falls silent. With the tattoo revealed and her explanation done, all that’s left now is Cat’s answer.

“I don’t know what to say,” Cat says, even softer than Adora. “Except that, yes, of course I will.”


	6. anemones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG !!!! writer's block has been REAL as well as the sudden obsession with another ship (raydia, for those who are into tdp), but the feedback to this fic has been so so positive already from the first chapter onwards and i wanted to give u guys a last chapter to tie up the story with a (hopefully) satisfying conclusion. I hope u love it, and once again thank u so much for ur support <3

Adora can’t think of a time when she’s been nervous like this. Not the first time she went to high school, not the first time she set a tattoo—not even the first time she ever went on a date. There is something about Cat, a familiarity that seems out of place when Adora thinks about the little amount of time they’ve known each other, but it feels right all the same. Still, the prospect of an actual date with the flower shop owner makes Adora’s stomach do flips.

Her phone buzzes a couple times in a row, rapidly, but when Adora checks it, she only sees messages from Bow and Glimmer, wishing her good luck on the date, and even one from Scorpia. It’s a text wishing her good luck, followed by a not-so-thinly veiled treat for if she’d break Cat’s heart, and a bunch of emojis. Adora snorts as she reads it because that’s so typically Scorpia, and also because nothing has ever seemed as unlikely to her than the idea of her breaking Cat’s heart. With a sigh, Adora slips her phone back into the pocket of her shorts and steels her nerves. Then she pushes open the door and enters the flower shop.

The cool, humid air is a refreshing change from the heat outside and Adora revels in it, hoping it’ll cool the blush that’s probably already taken its place on her cheeks. Cat has her back to her, her attention fully on the bucket of what Adora would say are anemones, if she had to guess.

“Hey,” she says. “Those are pretty.” When Cat turns around, she’s wearing a smile that could light up a city.

“Aren’t they? I just got them this morning,” Cat says, as she grabs a flower and holds it out for Adora to take. They’re pink, with the insides a dark, deep purple. “These are anemones,” Cat continues, enthusiastically. “There’s a folk tale about them that says they close their petals when there’s a storm approaching. Though the Irish say they only close when there are fairies sleeping inside.” The tidbit of information brings an easy smile to Adora’s face.

“Is there anything you don’t know about flowers?” she asks. Cat just shrugs.

“Not likely,” she answers, as she walks to the counter. “The only downside of basically being a plant Wikipedia is that I don’t know jack about anything else.” Adora chuckles as she places the anemone back in the bucket and follows Cat, who is pushing her wallet and her keys in the tiny pockets of her shorts. “Ready to go?” she asks, and Adora nods.

“I was born ready,” she says with a grin, which only widens at Cat’s snort.

The beach is only one fifteen minute train ride away from the station nearest to both Cat’s flower shop and her own tattoo parlor, and it passes in the blink of an eye. The heat is slightly pressing when they exit the train station and walk down the road that leads to the beach but with several clouds sliding in front every once in a while, it’s not too hot. Despite living relatively close to the ocean, Adora's only been a handful of times. As the dunes stretch out on either side of the road and a pair of seagulls loudly cry as they fly over, Adora thinks that she probably ought to change that.

The weather is really nice, so despite it being a weekday the beach is pretty busy. Without really thinking about it, Adora grabs a gentle hold of Cat’s hand.

“I think I see a good spot,” she says, as she pulls Cat along through the sand. In a space that’s not too far from the shoreline and far enough from other people, Adora let’s go of Cat’s hand and plops down in the sun warmed sand with a content sigh.

The way the ocean glitters in the high noon sun is near blinding combined with how the light bounces off the sand, but with the cool, salty breeze tickling their skin, it’s not too hot.

“We picked a good day to come here,” Cat murmurs with a smile as she takes off her shoes and lays backwards in the sand, her arms beneath her hand and her eyes closed.

“You’re not going to fall asleep on me again, are you?” Adora says with a grin, remembering the cherry blossoms. Cat cracks one eye open and regards her, amused.

“And sleep through our date?” she says, before laying back down and closing her eyes again. “I wouldn’t dare.” Adora snorts as she makes herself comfortable in the sand, too. Her eye falls on Cat’s arm and the fake tattoo she put there, where it peaks out from under her thick curls. She reaches for it and lets her fingertips trace over the delicate lines of the morning glory. “That tickles,” Cat giggles with closed eyes.

“A real tattoo would looks so good on you,” Adora murmurs. “Promise me you’ll come to my shop if you ever decide to get one?” Cat keeps grinning, and extends the arm with the fake tattoo on it, holding out her pinky finger. Adora grabs onto it with her own, and lowers their joined hands in the warm sand.

“Pinky promise,” Cat mutters, before pulling at Adora’s finger with her own. “Now come lay down next to me and relax.” Adora chuckles as she lies down next to the florist, their arms brushing and their hands laying linked in between them. The sun is a comforting warmth on her face, like Cat is beside her and Adora heaves a deep sigh. This might be the most she’s felt at ease since… since some time before she met Cat, probably. Adora quickly glances at the other girl. Cat looks as serene as Adora has ever seen her—it brings an easy smile to her face, before she closes her eyes again.

***

Adora keeps fidgeting in the sand beside her. If it was anyone else it might’ve annoyed Catra to no end, but today it’s Adora and their conversation laps like the waves of the ocean on the shore, calmly flowing to and from one thing to another.

“You know, if I gave you a real tattoo, we wouldn’t even be able to come here,” Adora’s saying as she turns from her back to her side again, leaning on her arm and looking down at Catra. “It’d have to be kept out of the sun for at least a month.” Catra answers something about just taking her somewhere else, indoors; a cool, salty breeze caresses her skin and her hair, Adora shifts again, and their conversation follows.

They talk about everything and nothing. Catra finds herself talking about her youth and her dreams, as well as telling Adora her favorite takeout order or her favorite snacks to eat when she’s curled up beneath a blanket on the couch. Adora tells her about the stupid things she got up to with Glimmer and Bow in college, her zodiac sign and why it fits her so well, the things she used to be afraid of when growing up. Catra tells her about the constellation her eyes look for when the night falls. Adora tells her about her favorite color. Neither of them notice the clouds drifting overhead, the sea gulls cawing or the sun, slowly descending closer and closer to the horizon.

It’s only when the beach is becoming increasingly abandoned and bathed in hues of orange that Catra realizes it must be late. Her stomach growls as she sits upright, and glances at the few remaining beach goers. “Wow,” she says, as she brushes the sand off her arms. “We must have skipped dinner.”

“Now that you mention it, I do feel pretty hungry,” Adora answers with a sheepish smile. “Do you want to leave?” Catra’s answer is immediate.

“No,” she says. Never, she thinks. “But we could go to the food trucks on the boulevard?”

“Good plan,” Adora says as she gets up and holds out a hand for Catra to take. Catra does, and doesn’t let go.

It’s simple, the two of them eating hot dogs and ice cream while looking at how the sun disappears in the water, but to Catra it feels like the most significant date she’s ever been on. It’s crazy how she feels like she’s known Adora for years already, instead of a little over two weeks. It’s crazy how doing nothing but sitting in the sand has kept them entertained for the entire afternoon. Catra feels warm in a way that is not just caused by the last rays of sunlight, and thinks that the only thing that isn’t so crazy is how in love she feels right now. She looks at Adora, her profile flawless and shining in the low sunlight and smiles. “You want to get back to the waterline?” Catra asks. Adora meets her gaze, smiles, and nods.

They walk to the shoreline, hand in hand. The sand gets wetter as they approach the water and Catra basks in how it cools her toes, and even more so when they walk further and waves start flowing over their feet.

“It’s such a perfect day,” Adora mutters quietly, as her hair, freed from its ponytail, bellows in the wind.

“Yeah,” Catra answers. “I don’t come here enough.” Adora turns away from the sun to face her with a crooked smile.

“I was thinking the same thing!” she says. Catra grins back and squeezes her hand.

“Is this you asking me on another beach date?” Adora shrugs.

“Maybe,” she answers. “Or somewhere else. Back to the cherry blossoms, or to someplace entirely new.”

“I would like that,” Catra says with a satisfied sigh. There’s nothing but weightlessness in her, a content peace that’s so light it might take Catra up, and never back down again. Without really thinking about it, she turns to Adora and grabs her other hand. “I had fun today. And all the other days you hung out with me. I’m really glad I met you, Adora.” The smile Adora gives her is brighter than the setting sun.

“Me too,” she answers, softly.

It happens naturally, like it has between them since the beginning. A fleeting thought of how they compare to a growing flower, creeping out of its bud and unfolding its pink flowers to the light, flits before Catra’s mind’s eye. It seems very ironic for a relationship that started around the flowers in her shop. Then Catra takes a step forward in the sand, presses her lips to Adora’s, and thinks about nothing apart from how that feels for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy ur summer and til we meet again!

**Author's Note:**

> you're legally allowed to fight me if i don't update this regularly.
> 
> come yell at me on twitter @aryastabme


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